Float valve



B. WAGNER FLOAT VALVE May 12, 1953 Original Filed '0ct. ll, 1949 5 Sheets-Sheet l LA' c,

Y n m H15 ATTORNEY FLOAT VALVE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Original Filed Oct; l1, 1949 5 G I F FIGS..

. IVEN TOR;

BY v

HIS ATTORNEY May 12, 1953 B. WAGNER 2,638,111

FLOAT VALVE Original Filed Oct. l1, 1949 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 lprssvm: @man www fiamma, ammalarsi W WELLIN PRImNG @AMBER sucTI 01N Lunga INVENToR. BERNBRD WAGNER 111s ATTORNY Patented May 12, 1953 FLOAT VALVE l Bernard Wagner, Grafton, Pa., assignor Ato Gulf Oil Corporation, Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Original application October 11, 1949, Serial No. 120,797. Divided and this application May` 26, 1952, Serial No. 290,016

l This invention relates to improvements in oat valves-and more in particular to a valve for use in a gasoline dispensing system, which valve controls flow of gasoline from the air separating chamber of a pump unit, being assisted in opening by the jetting action of fluid entering the chamber and simultaneously operating to cut oi flow into the chamber while the same is draining.

Such dispensing systems are designed to remove entrained air from the gasoline which is being pumped, so that accurate liquid measure will be indicated by the meter. Thus, as the gasoline is discharged from the pump impeller it passes to a separating chamber where its turbulence subsides in some degree and air rises to the top while the gasoline, freed of air, is withdrawn from a low point and passes through the meter to the dispensing hose. The separated air contains an amount of gasoline and, since the aforesaid chamber is substantially full of liquid between operations of the pump, at each dispensing loperation the sudden surge of liquid discharged from the impeller tends to force some f it along with the overlying blanket of air into a second separating chamber in which the liquid gradually collects while the air is continuously vented therefrom to the atmosphere. Since this second separating chamber is in communication with the atmosphere it is important that the level of gasoline collecting in it be maintained below the vent in order to avoid flooding and the consequent creation of a dangerous condition. A iioat valve is accordingly provided which periodically, upon rise in liquid level, opens a passage for return of the accumulation of gasoline to the inlet of the impeller where it joins the main entering stream.

It is an object of my invention to provide in a device of the character described, improved air elimination from the pumped gasoline and an improved float valve arranged to be assisted in its operation by the jetting action of gasoline laden air expelled from the air eliminator structure, the arrangement being such as to prevent undesirable ooding of portions of the pump unit as well as to hasten the attainment of pumping pressure.

The present application is a division of my copending application Serial No. 120,797, to which reference is made for a detailed description of the pump unit construction in which the float valve herein claimed is particularly useful, a1- though, as will be understood, in view of the separate status anddevelopment `of oat valves,

3 Claims. (Cl. IS7- 192)l 2 y it is applicable as well to other uses than in' gasoline dispensing systems.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is an isometric view of a pump unit incorporating the present invention, showing the` location of the vent for the air separating, float-` Figure 5 is a section, partly in elevation, show.

ing the detail of the iioat valve and mechanism associated therewith which also appears in Figure 2.

Referring to the drawings, the pump unit housing is indicated generally at I, and the motor and motor bell housing which is bolted thereto is indicated generally at 2. A suction inlet in the base of the pump housing leads into portions 3 and 4 of a suction conduit delivering liquid to the impeller eye and formed by partitions within the housing, the liquid being drawn through a strainer 5 within portion 3 of the suction conduit to prevent any foreign matter from entering any further portion of the pump system.

The impeuer s is a dise-11k@ cylindrical mem-` ber having a plurality of radial passages 1 connecting the inlet eye 8 with its outer periphery. The impeller is situated within an impeller chamber 9 formed between a partition I0 within the' housing I and the end plate I I of the bell housing for motor 2.

An impeller discharge chamber I2 is provided within housing I and extends about the outer periphery of impeller 6 and communicates therewith. This impeller chamber may take any convenient form such as that of a doughnut, but isv preferably of the volute type. The purpose of this chamber is to gradually perform a transition from radial flow of liquid in the impeller to tangential flow as well as to initiate the separation of any air which may be entrapped within the liquid being pumped. An outlet I3 is provided in the impeller discharge chamber extending downwardly and discharging in the same direction into primary air separation chamber I4.`

Baffie means may be provided in conjunction with outlet I3 and extending within impeller discharge chamber I2 to facilitate direction of the` liquid in the impeller discharge chamber toward the outlet I3. y

The purpose of the primary air separation chamber, as the name implies, is to separate the air and diicultly condensable vapor from the liquid which has been freshly pumped and discharged thereinto. This may be due to aeration or cavitationrpaused bythe centrifugal pump or simply dueto the presence ofairioryapor 'on-v the inlet side of the pump. The level of liquid in chamber M will remain near the top of the chamber at all times unless there is a lealginf4 the system, whereby during repriming and norfmal operations the air and/'orfva'por sep'aratirilsi from the liquid as it reaches `the-top--of chamber l' I4 is forced into a restricted conduit I5.

A pump outlet conduit Iextends ,downwardlyJ into chamber ifi to receivera-ir-,freefliiuiddrome a point near the bottom of suoli chamber and to convey it through a meter to a dispensing hose, neither of which are shown. This outlet conduit` contains a check valve il'. g

The vair 'vvhichrispermitted to Ableed from prihr mary air separation chamber It through the fre-1 stricted conduit l5 will,invariablycontainfvolatileva-porS-and may-also containgentrained -liquid. To .recovertheliquid passing througli'conL duit' I5 'and to facilitate' further air separation, a secondary airY separation chamber'iis pro-Y vided Within the pump unit.A This air. separation chamber is provided withv an iairvent i5 vin vthe topnereof, shown in, Figure 1',l a. seat `2t of any,

suitable buoyant tmaterial such as cork; Vandr 'a iioatjoperated valve to control'the liquid level. therein. Float 2Q is disposed upon a vertical rod 2l connecting at the base thereof with the needle portion 22"of a needle valve having a seat 23. situated in the 'oase offchamber i8 and. disposed about needle 22 'in the form of a collar, as shownY inV detail in Figure 5. This needle valve is .in

communication with a conduitv 3ft' extending,

therefrom lin the' base. of housing i vto .the suction inlet conduit vof the pump unit. Thum as., theV Vfloat 2d rises within` the Vsecondary airi sep@V aration. chamber ,in response ,tothe liquid level. therein, the ,needle` valve is. opened ,ai1d liquid.\. recr'culates to Vthe suction inlet.' The portion of f. chamber i3 above the liquid level tliereinfisnder. atmosphericplessure due to .air vent le provided-l in the top thereof communicating vvithtlo.eati

musphere, as shot/nin Fisurell. Forthis..reason and for the. .reasonl that the conduit ai .is Aunder ,r suction,v ,the needle l valve may tend4 to. stick, .to its seat, although .the f liduid level ,Within .chaIr'i-fA ber, i8 has. risen tov apoint. which` shouldeausef the iiat' Eil 4to open .the Valve... To insure that this condition will not occur,A the pressure of fluidcoming. fromv conduit is .is .employed .to assist .opening of` the,,valve as, shown in. Figures 2 and 5. Frthis. i iupose,A the top.of. chamberr IG .is provided with .a'fremovableiclosure Ziiito which; conduitv .li-is connected. A cylinder E@ havingapentral bore 2l `therein zdependswfromi removable closure 257,5. androdi, uponwhioh; float 2G ,is mounted, extendsupvfardly Within bore-2l! toforn a small piston 23 operating Witt-1 in boreitll.` Thetopof bore 2 is,providedwithv aVT laterali passage 29' extending `v4therefrom to 4 the chamber,A lifto `permit elevation. ofi` pistonf 23,- within bore` Etf-when pressure developed therebeneath. To 1 develop this pressuraanotherpassage Si). is provided withinv cyli1ider-,25,. exe' tendingfromA apoint iny communication Awith conduit .E5 Sand directingat. ,Sli a Vjet ,aga-inst the.4 loyver vface of pisto'nttl..y Rodtistaperedat- @immediately beneath piston 28 aladfpagel 33 communicating with this portion of r''d 2I 4 is provided to permit fluid from conduit I5 and passages 30 and SI to pass into chamber I8 eX- cept when piston 28 is fully elevated. When piston 28 is fully elevated, the tapered portion of rod 2l enters bore 2i to prevent passage of fluid.^from:;primary air `separation chamber I4 through passages-23e, 3i :and 33 .into secondary air separation chamber i8. Thus, when secondary chamber i8 accumulates suicient liquid, riiowoof further liquid thereto is prevented until most of the liquid has been exhausted through valvef22; y

The-openin'g-oivalve 22 is assisted by the jet actionv of'iiuid 'under pressure at 3l against the ..faoe.jofpistong23,insuring that the valve will not stickto seat 23 when a predetermined quantit'y `of: liquidcaocumulates in chamber Li. When valve 22,0pens, the action of piston 28 and iioat '2Q 'causes-piston 28 tobecome completely elevated Within bore 27 such that the tapered, portion -32 of-frod 2I interrupts the yfldvv ofiluid from primary air separation chamberfil y'to-sec# ondary .aiiiseparati'on chamber i3. This provides ari-opportunityior most 'of the liduidto'b` exhausted froin'ch'amber i8, so that thechaine ber` will not become hooded were vliquid to'entr th chamber faster than it could be removedz' Such needing, which' is `commonin l'g'asoliriejdise'A pensing systems employing iloat controlledfair separation chambers, Vcould be Yserious --if yliquid chamber iB becomes sui'ii'ciently exhausted ofl'iti uid; the Weight of 'the oat valve `assemblyugill Carryyalve .22 back toits seat 'despite thpres sure acting upon piston '23. Inadditiong'piston;

28 performs the urtherjiunction"of, 'hastening the Aattainmentof pumping pressure', Within chamber M. BetWeen'operat-ions,When'the pump;

is networking, chamber i4 is runder atmospheric p ressure.- When the pump starts again, chamber iiifmusi; rapidlyd'cbuild its losty pressure to suffi cient magnitude for'aidispensingoperation; In"

startinggsome liquid "from chamber iiinitial-ly;`

yin the 'form of a lliquid jetfis forced into cham' berv4 l il under normal "operating conditions, such"Y that float-,Quand p'isto`ii12v become elevated, 'thus interrupting communication' between 3hambjers" I tlf'arid'i; Since'@pressure` 'relief from" Chamb r Iii -is 'thereb51`cutoij the ,pressure Awithin cha-m beruf ispermittes to bund up more rapidisimo,

if pressure relief lwereafforded for 'chamber -I4 .i

through secondary chamber. i8.

From the Vfoies-fung:it werbe appreciated that. While the oatvalve `and jetassistlendsfr. betr..

mounted thereon and ,ayalve piece at thelower end 'of said ro'd,jthe upper. end ofthe rod being.v taf. y pered to. reduced diameter and .terminating i`1'r1.:`32.Vv

lpiston head fofless diametenthan .the maximum,

diametery .of the ...tapered ..portion, ,a .cylinderljirit Which said Ipiston head is received, and ,a fl'l'iid.`

conduit, entering the bore of, said .cylinder beneath Y thelpiston head,..to project uid there'against-and to assist in raising said valve piece from its seat as buoyancy, of the float increases Withrise oili'quid level!l A' float `valve comprisingM in, combination', A with. a .iioat7 chamber?ll provided withgan air; vent and 'a gas-liquidl separation chamber" commui" ter ypump operation in aunit 'as yabove .desoi'bedd eating with said float chamber, a float operated valve in said ioat chamber, a oat carried by said valve and having an upwardly extending rod movable therewith, said rod being tapered adjacent its end and terminating in a piston head, a cylinder provided with a bore closely tting said piston head'and an enlarged chamber dening an annule-1 boulder at the entrance to the bore against which the tapered portion of said rod abuts whenlthe float valve and rod are raised, a rst conduitv4 communicating with the bore of said cylinder below the piston head, a second conduit extending from the bore in said cylinder to the interior of said float chamber above the piston, and a thirdconduit extending from the enlarged chamber in' said cylinder to the interior of said oat chamber below the piston, whereby in closed position of the valve, fluid entering the float chamber from the first conduit flows beneath the piston head and around the rod to the third said conduit,V and as liquid accumulates in the separation chamber, with increasing buoyant force exertedby the float, the jetting action of.

entering :duid on the under side of said piston assists in unseating the valve with simultaneous rise of the rod to a position wherein its tapered portion plugs the cylinder bore and cuts off com- Vmunication between the rst conduit and the float chamber.

3. In a liquid pump having a pumping :mechanism, an air separation chamber in communication therewith, a iioat chamber t0 receive air and entrained liquid from said air separation chamber, a restricted conduit connected therebetween, and a liquid drainage conduit from said oat chamber, the combination therewith comprising a float in said float chamber, a neat operated valve controlling said drainage conduit, a piston operatively controlled by said iioat, a cylinder to receive said piston, said cylinder being provided with a passage connecting with said restricted conduit and directing the discharge therefrom i against a face of said piston to assist in opening said float-operated valve and a second passage communicating the aforesaid passage with said oat chamber, said communication being interrupted when said piston and float are fully elevated.

BERNARD WAGNER.

No references cited. 

